Truss pad



4 June 27,1933. WBSEELEY 1,915,623

TRUSS PAD Filed Sept. lO. 1928 Patented June 27, 1933 K tJNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE` WALTER B. SEELEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA vTRU'SS PAD Application led September 10, 1928. Serial No. 304,887.

In the use of trusses it is desirable to emwith great eciencyin the'prevention of the descent or protrusionof the viscera or other organs of the body through eithera natural opening from a cavity or one accidentally torn therein.

2 It also is an object of the invention to provide a pad of lnovel construction for trusses, comprising a plurality of pad membersone of which `is adapted to be removed d. to permit use of the other alone.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pad comprising a main body part adapted to receive interchangeably any one of a plurality of supplemental pads which ,mi may be of different sizes and shapes.

I shall not attempt to set forth atthis time all of the various objects and advantages appurtenant to my invention, but other objects and advantages thereof either Q- will be specifically referred to in the detailed description which follows or willvbe apparent from such description.

In order that the invention may be read# ily understood and its many practical advantages fully appreciated reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in a form whichr is at present preferred by me, but it will be understood that 5o changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement and conformation of parts may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the invention or the principle thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view in horizontal transverse section of a truss pad embodying the invention, a portion of the strap or brace by which the truss is secured to the body being shown partly in section and partly in edge velevation;

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the wearing or contact face of the pad;

Fig. 3 is a view of the opposite side or facev Y of the pad;

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the supplemental attached pad shown in Figs. l and 2, removed from its position upon the mainy or larger pad; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing 70 removable andinterchangeable pads of different sizes from the pads shown in Figs. l, 2, and 4L.

In the drawing I vhave shown a. pad structure, comprising pads l and 2, the latter being removably mounted upon the former. The pad l is of the usual siZe of pads of the character employed in truss structures and may consist of any suitable material, such as vulcanized rubber, which should have the requisite or desired elasticity. The pad 2 is very much smaller and presents a muchsmaller surface wearing area than the pad l,

and when the truss is Worn is adapted to be 85.

seated directly over the opening or rupture which it is desired to close. The said pad 2 being relatively small will sink into the fiesh and project inwardly, perhaps causing por-V tions of the body located outwardly of or over the opening or rupture to enter the latter and thus more eifectually close the same. The surface portion of the pad l surrounding the edge of the pad 2 contacts or may contact with the portion of the body sur# 9,5 rounding that with which the pad 2'is in contact and thereby serves as a means to limit the penetration of the pad 2. The material of the pad 2 may be and usually is the same as that of the pad 1, and in any case such material may be of a character which has been or may be found suitable for use in the construction of truss pads.

The pad l is molded around a plate 3 the edges of which are of oval outline, as indicated by the dash lines 4 in Figs. 2 and 3.

- The said plate is provided with a central outwardly'projecting portion from the edge of which an inwardly inclined portion 6 extends which terminates in a laterally and reversely extendedportionV 7 constituting a brim-like portion. By thus shaping ,the plate 5 its strength is greatlyenhanced,

whereby the possibility of deformation thereof during the use of the pad is reduced to a minimum. At the same time the resilience or spring eect of the plate'is increased, which is a desirable characteristic. A hollow stem metalfmember8 is secured at its outer end in an opening 9 formed atthe center of theplate 3, which stem extends inwardly `of the pad 1 toward the opposite sidethereof. The Vstem 8 is provided with an axial opening which extends therethrough, which opening is in alinement with an openingV 10 which extends yentirely through the pad l and terminates upon the inner wearing surface thereof. Preferably the inner` end of the stem 8 is `provided with a flange 11 whereby it is more securely anchored within the pad l.V The wall` of the 7 said pad 2. The outer or free end of the l said opening.

' sizes.

stem 15 is provided with slots 17 which preferably extend at right angles to each otherv as indicated, to divide the same into four segments 18, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, which segments are adapted to be slightly spread so that vwhen the said outer lfree end of the stem' is yinserted into the opening of the stem 8 it is retained therein by the friction of the stem, particularly the -spread segments thereof, against the surface of the n win be andarsene that pads 2 of different sizes `may be substituted for and intei-,

changed with the pad 2 shown in position in Fig. l. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown pads like kthat shownin Fig. 4, but of different AIt will be understood that owing to variations in the sizes ofthe openings to, be closed and to be treated by a pad itis very important that means. be provided for meeting the variable conditions towhich variations in the sizes of the said openings or ruptures may which screw is in engagement with the screw threads 12 previously referred to. The said screw yis provided with a flanged portion 24 whichengagesthe strap or brace 21, as shown, and is also provided with a headed extension 25 whichis adapted to be engaged with openings 'inthe outer end of the said strap or brace.

It may happen that the stem 15 of the su plemental pad 2 may fit the opening in tfie stemr8 so closely as to prevent the ready removal of the saine except by the use of means which may be employed for effecting such removal. ln case it should become necessary the screw 22 may be ,removed and an elongated screw-threadedmember, not shown, screwed into the'opening of the stem 8 to cause the inner end thereof to engage the innerk end of the stem 15 and push the same out of thef opening .of the saidlstem 8 and out of the opening 10.

By the employment of a pad structure comprising a main or body pad, such as that indicated by the reference numeral 1, and a supplemental pad such vasthat indicated by the numeral 2, the latter resting upon and projecting from the said main pad and havingk Vits inner faceconforming to the shape ofthe outer face of pad 1, I have provided means whereby the efliciency of the action of the truss in the accomplishment of the purposesfor which it is or may be employed is greatly enhanced. It Vis. desirable that the supplemental projectingy pad 2 be provided upon trusses Vwhich are worn by persons engaged in violent and heavy work or in violent exercises because its presence enables the trussto more effectually perform its function of closing an opening or rupture andA preventing the descent or protrusion of an organ of the body through such opening or rupture. The ability to remove the supplemental pad 2 is" of great advantage because the wearer of a truss of the construction embodying the invention and as Villus.- trated may, when he discontinues the heavy work in which he may have been engaged or discontinues exercising violently, remove the said projecting supplementall pad and use only the pad 1. The surface of the pad 1, being larger and uniform in its curvature, perhaps would be more comfortable in its pressure against the body than the pad 2, and if a person were not performing heavy work or exercising violently would operate to prevent descent or protrusion of vany portions of the organsof the body through an opening or rupture.

It will be noted that the wearing surfaces of both of the pad members l and 2 are con- Y vexly curved, and it also will be noted that these surfaces are not, in the construction illustrated, spherical. It follows, therefore, that the radii of the wearing surfaces and different portions of the respective pad members l and 2 will or may be of different lengths.

It also will be noted that the inner surface of the small superposed wearing pad 2 is concave andthat the curvature of the concavity is such as to permit or cause it to fit closely against the underneath surface of the pad l, which, when the latter is in use alone, constitutes a part of the wearing surface.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A truss pad comprising a relatively large pad member having a wearing surface of relatively large area, an anchor plate provided Vwith an outwardly projecting central portion and an inwardly extended rim porf tion, the latter being imbedded within the said pad member and the said outwardly projecting central portion being provided with an inwardly extending hollow stem, and the said pad member being provided with an opening in its inner side in alinement with the opening through the said stem, a relatively small pad member adapted to be mounted upon the wearing surface of the said relatively large pad member, the said relatively small pad member being provided with a stem projecting from the inner side thereof, the said stem being so constructed as to frictionally engage with the opening of the said hollow stem and the opening in the inner side of the said relatively large pad member.

2. A truss pad structure comprising two pad members one of which is larger than the other, the smaller pad member being supported upon the larger pad member, the

larger pad member having a centrally located opening extending therethrough, a bushing secured in the outer portion of said opening, said bushing having an opening extending lengthwise therethrough, and a stem pro jecting from the inner side of the said smaller pad, the outer end of which stem is provided with slots to divide the same into sections which are bent slightly outwardly to enlarge the said outer end, the said outer end extending into the inner end of said bushing and frictionally engaging the sides thereof to detachably connect the smaller to the larger pad member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this l7th day of September, A. D. 1928.

WALTER B. SEELEY. 

